California in fire · 2007-10-23 16:55
Firefighters hoped for high winds to abate on Tuesday, enabling them to start containing the fast-moving fires that have engulfed a massive swath of Southern California, claimed some 700 homes and sent thousands fleeing.
At least 13 fires, whipped by hot, gale-force Santa Ana winds have swept unchecked over the lower half of the state over the past two days, overwhelming fire crews and state emergency services. Some 200,000 acres (81,000 hectares) were torched, one person killed and more than three dozen injured.
According to Reuters, governer Arnold Schwarzenegger summoned aid from 1,500 National Guard troops, including 200 from the Mexican border, to help with firefighting, evacuations and crowd control.
Meanwhile, some 250,000 people who had been ordered to evacuate ahead of the flames spent the night out of their homes, about 10,000 of them at a San Diego area football stadium that had been converted to an emergency shelter.
Neighboring states, including Nevada and Arizona, rushed in crews and equipment and President George W. Bush called Schwarzenegger to offer assistance in the worst-hit areas.
In San Diego County south of Los Angeles, some 500 homes and 100 other buildings were reported burned to the ground by the Witch Fire. In the mountain communities of Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs, outside Los Angeles, some 130 homes were destroyed by and fire crews fought to save others in the path of the flames.
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